First year Quakes manager looking for consistency from his players

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes' Chris Jacobs (#12) is congratulated by third base coach coach Mike Eylward (#22) after hitting a homerun in the second inning against Inland Empire 66ers, at LoanMart Field in Rancho Cuamonga, Ca., Saturday, June 21, 2014. (Photo by John Valenzuela/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)

RANCHO CUCAMONGA >> Sit down and talk with Rancho Cucamonga Quakes manager P.J. Forbes about his team and one word keeps coming up — consistency.

Forbes, in his first year managing the Los Angeles Dodgers’ High-A affiliate, knows that’s the toughest thing to find in a young player. They all have talent or they wouldn’t have been drafted and/or signed by a professional organization. But what separates prospects from those who top out at High-A or Double-A level is performing at a certain level over the course of a season.

“We’re trying to develop that consistency over the course of the season,” Forbes said after batting practice earlier this week at LoanMart Field.

“At this level, guys have great moments and they have some not-so-great moments. It’s getting them to repeat the good and limit the bad. Most guys are here because they’re still developing.”

California League teams just returned from the All-Star break and started the second half on Thursday. The Quakes went 32-38 over the fist 70 games. That record was fourth out of the five teams in the South Division and eighth out of 10 teams in the league, although they closed out the first half with wins in six of their last 10 games.

The Quakes rank seventh in the league in offense with a team batting average of .257.

One prospect who hasn’t disappointed is shortstop Corey Seager, the second-ranked prospect in the Dodgers organization by Baseball America. He hit .344 with a league-high 24 doubles, 12 home runs and 49 RBIs. He was one of two All-Stars on the team, the other being first baseman Chris Jacobs (.264, 42 RBI), who at 25 is the oldest player on the squad.

As for the most pleasant surprise, Forbes singles out left fielder Adam Law (.304), the son of former major leaguer Vance Law and a 12th-round draft choice in 2013. Law might have been in contention for a spot on the All-Star team had it not been for a month missed because of a strained quad.

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“He has really put himself on the radar,” Forbes said of Law. “This is his first full season and he’s one of the older guys. But I think he’s been the guy people might not have heard much about who has really impressed us.”

Other than Seager, most of the team’s highly regarded prospects are pitchers. Left-handers Julio Urias (1-1, 3,59 ERA) and Tom Windle (5-4, 3.93) and right-hander Chris Anderson (4-5, 5.18) are all among the team’s top 15 prospects.

It is Urias, 17, who has drawn the most attention. He’s the youngest player competing for any High-A team by several months, not turning 18 until August. He’s the third-ranked prospect and top-ranked pitcher in the organization.

Quakes pitching coach Matt Herges, the former Dodger, gets instructions from the parent club on just what to do with the phenom. He has been limited to three innings in many appearances. He has skipped starts and been pushed back a day, all in an effort to keep his innings at a reasonable number.

“It is our job to see that he makes it through the season healthy,” Herges said. “You have to be very careful with a kid this young that has this much talent. It’s a little frustrating for him because he just wants to go out there and pitch seven, eight innings, and we’re having to hold him back.”

The player that has most surprised on the mound is right-handed reliever Rob Rogers (2-3, 3.79), a 32nd-round draft pick in 2013.

“He was a really low draft pick and he wasn’t really on anyone’s radar, but he has been solid,” Herges said. “He’s on the radar now.”

As the Quakes opened the second half with a couple of wins over Inland Empire, Forbes sees potential.

“At times we have pitched very well and times we haven’t. Then we have hit well, other times we have struggled,” he said. “It’s all about guys getting better and continuing to develop. Some guys have gotten farther than others, but they have worked hard and been a very receptive group.”